asked the Minister for Energy if as an immediate means of conserving energy he will introduce a scheme of grants for insulation of domestic and commercial buildings.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Energy Conservation.
10.
I will be carrying out a very early review of the possible elements to be included in future energy conservation programmes and I propose to give particular consideration to the question of a scheme covering insulation.
There are a number of questions, including the methods and costs of administration, which must be reviewed before a decision can be taken.
I might add that, at least in the case of "first-phase" insulation, that is, where there is no existing insulation, the cost of providing a reasonable degree of lagging and so on can be recovered through energy saving in a short period of time. The case for incentives of a financial nature is, therefore, in certain categories not compelling. Information on the savings that can be achieved by insulation is readily available from a number of sources including my Department and the IIRS.
In relation to the grant scheme for conversions to solid fuel central heating, does the Minister think that was a failure? Has he thought of reintroducing that grant scheme in the future?
I dealt with this matter yesterday when I said it will be my intention, when I have reviewed the conservation methods being used and the possibility of changes and improvements in that regard, to bring forward proposals which might be viewed as a substitution for the grants to which the Deputy refers. I also pointed out that, while these grants had the effect of switching demand from imported oil to solid fuel, they did not have the effect of reducing the amount of energy consumed and in fact in many cases people were switching from oil—which is desirable—to imported coal. For that reason I have never been fully convinced of the efficacy of these schemes and would hope to produce proposals which would be more effective so far as energy savings are concerned.
Does the Minister expect to have the money available to him for that purpose?
I expect to have whatever sum seems to be necessary to make the proposals effective.